The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-04
THE GRAND ARMY.
Is it q Political Organization
or Not?
DOODLE SEEMS TO BE THEIR OBJECT

DOODLE SEEMS TO BE THEIR OBJECT
LEXINGTON, KY, September 28.-TSpecial
Correspondence i think just now that the
question in American politics which rises far
above all others in Importance is whether the
people or the G. A. r. is to govern this coun-
try And the time has just about arrived
when the newspapers must cease to be mealy
mouthed about the matter, but must have
their say on one side or the other. Grover
Cleveland has expressed himself on the sub
ject, and has taken the side of the people
whereupon the G. A. X. has seen proper to
make ga gorgeous an bloomin hass" Of itself.
If an ex-confederate soldier at a reunion Of
his comrades were TO refuse TO walk under a
suspended portrait Of Grant, or Lincoln, or
even that monumental fraud, Hayes, a howl
would be raised all over the land, and it would
be confident asserted all over the north that the
rebellion hadlbroken out afresh Even the best
Of the northern democrats and the most friend
~ to the south would say, while they shook
their heads ominously, that a great mistake
had been made and a great breach Of good
taste committed But in the G. A. r., whose
primary purpose is to continue saving
the country long after the country has
forgotten that it ever needed
any salvation, things are different. SO long as
a president agrees with the majority of its
members in their political faith the most in
tense loyalty to him is strictly enforced, no
matter what his acts may be. But the mo-
ment there comes one to the presidential
chair who differs from them in this respect he
must at once submit himself to their direction
in all matters, or their much Wanted "lOyalty"
becomes a rope OF sand. 1t is then that they
denonce the president Of the United States
as a whipped spaniel" and refuse to march
beneath his picture when suspended across a
street. If Free Masons or Odd Fellows were
to do such thing they would be stamped out
incontinently.
Now, OF course, all the Grand Army of the
Republic men do not share this feeling, but the
great Majority OF them do. At least the senti-
ment against the president is so strong that
there will be disturbance if ID be not pan
dered to. And, / regret to say, it is pandered
10. In ST. Louis so great was the fear of trouble,
and perhaps riot, that no portrait of Grover
Cleveland was allowed to be swung across the
street. An obsolete city ordinance was en-
forced, and there were no swinging signs ex-
cept the national flag. This was all done that
the delicate sensibilities OF Mr.. futile and Mr.
Eairchild and suoh.lke other cranks, should
not be wounded. Claiming a monopoly of all
the patriotism in the country, yet these men
cannot, 1t seoms without violence 10 their con
sciences, omit an opportunity to INSULT the
legal ommanderin-chief OF the army and navy
of their country. tt p.I 49, g.
do not understand such patriotism, nor do /
eHeye that the sensibilties OF such people
ought to be respected. / do not think the peo-
Pile Of the United States or any portion OF it,
should care to do honor to any society which
goes about seeking to insult the president of
the United States, be he Washington or Lin
coin, Grant or Grover Cleveland If | choose
to hang picture of Abraham Lincoln or John
Brown upon my library walls, should wish
no man as a guest in my house who should de-
mand their removal. And If the face of Gro
yer Cleveland adorned the walls | should not
cover 1t with canvas because my guest hap
pened to wear the badge of the Grand Army
of tho Republic. There is such n thing as
reciprocity in this world, and if | am to respect
his scnsibilities he also must respect mine
Otherwise We had best not meet.
3.Ss
Now, am satisfied that Mayor Francis OF
st. Louis, meant well when he refused to allow
any picture of the president to be hung out
while the Grand Army Republic meeting was
In progress Mayor Francis, like most promi-
nent men of the west isaKentuckian raised here
IN the blue grass. He has the Kentucky ideas
of hospitality and does not wish in any way to
make his guests uncomfortable, or allow it to
lie done But the line must drawn somewhere,
even in Kentucky hospitality. AT my house."
said old Price MaCirath, once "any gentleman
has right 60 got drunk as he id pleases;
but by Cd sir. any man who insults him
must leave my premises. " This happened when
a lot of eastern magnates had come unlimited,
to one of old MaGmths annual dinners tho
day before the spring races, One of them, an
old gentleman, dnllied too much with the
flowing bowl and went to sleep under the shade
of locust tree in his chair. His friends filed
his pockets and his lap with empty champagne
bottles and placed them all about his chair,
designing to mortify him when lac aWoke.
John HoOly. the Adams express man was one
of and Nv ha
one in II. and 10 him these remarks of Old Price
were addressed when the little game was dis
covered by the old man. The bottles Ncpe 10.
moved, the sleeping gentleman awakened and
the whole party were. soon III their vehicles
and ON their way to town AT McGIathian
the bounds OF hospitality were not 10y any
means contracted hut the line was drawn.
Every guest there could do rs he pleased, but
he must respect the rights of every other guest
And that is true hospitality.
The president of the United States is. or
ought 10 be, guest AT every hearthStouc and
under every roof tree in the union. lie has
the rights OF guest in the heart of every pa
tIiot and in every house or city which he
chooses TO enter. No matter what his politics
may he, no matter what his personality,
only he be the fairly chosen president the man
who fails TO do him honor diShonors his own
land and defleS his own profess
sions of patriotism. IL even Blaine,
spotted rs he is with all manner of personal
iniquity, should he president his portrait
might hang without insult over the
street OF any southern city. no mat
ter what gathering Of people was
assembled there The laws Of hospitality
would he respected. and il he chose to come
in person no mEa would lie allowed to insult
him. unless, indeed, the Grand Army of the
Republic happened TO be assembled there
Aud don't believe the Grand Army of the
Republic would insult any president. no mat
ter who he WAS or what he had done, unless ho
was q democrat
And right there Ia that last assertion is the
meat of the whole case, Had Grant or HAYES
done what Grover Cleveland has. they would
have been applaudcd "a patriots Had Lincoln
lived to do what Andy johnson was impcached
for he would have had the nppuudiug peans
of solid north behind him. and the open
arms of q solid south 10 welcome him. But
those who desire the republican party to live
have always realized that il has no food SO
vital 70 its existence as the memories and the
passions Of the war. II did not hurt the
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